How To Get Guests to RSVP to Your Wedding or Event

This has to be one of the most frustrating parts of planning for brides when it comes to their weddings: handling the RSVPs. Some guests assume that you know they are coming so they need not send a response in. Others are procrastinators, cards are misplaced or worst yet, they come back without a name on them. What’s a couple to do? Your best bet is to make your guests feel like the world will utterly shatter and spontaneously combust if they do not receive your response. Okay, not that bad, but make them feel included! It has been a staple in planning to know that the wedding invitation sets the tone for the event and prepares your guests for what is ahead. While this is true, most couples and designers fail to put much forethought into the most important and needed card in the invitation suite: the RSVP card. Here are some ideas to help your RSVPs roll in: Photo RSVP Here, your guests can see your personality and excitement, and they’ll “have to say no/yes to your face”. Get creative enough and your guests will know there is a major party ahead. Themed RSVP Cards Themed invitations, and by default the RSVP cards get people extremely excited for your wedding and event. If you’ve put this much thought into the invitation, surely the party will be just as or even more phenomenal, right? They are fun, clever and make an impression on your guests who will actually stop to respond. Change Up the Wording

One way to inexpensively shake up the RSVP routine is to add your personality with the responses guests have to choose from. Go Interactive Interaction is always fun! Don’t believe me? Look at the spike in photo/video booths at weddings. People love to have fun, be heard and make their mark. Doing something as simple as adding an additional line for guests to add their favorite songs or leaving empty space for them to leave an endearing note, words of advice or favorite recipe for a future family cookbook, involves your guests in a special way. Want to really have fun? Cook up the Mad Libs from your childhood as part of your RSVP and have them on display during your cocktail hour for great laughs. Other Tips for Handing Your RSVPs If the unfortunate circumstance happens where your guests forget to put their names, you can write it in invisible ink to track them later. Another way is to number all of your RSVPs on the back and refer to that number on your master list when tracking responses. Need a way of separating your RSVPs during the process? Have basket for those who will attend and those who will send regrets. An easier method is to have two different RSVP cards– guests will choose the one with their response and send it back. For more great tips on RSVPs and your wedding, dig into ourdelicious post full of advice.